My cruise dropped 2k

[kiford]

If it's a *GT rate, the room you might get if you booked it might not even be in the same category as the one you booked originally. And may not be even the best room in that category. Even if you were able to cancel for no cost and rebook, what you are able to rebook might not be equivalent to the original.

 

[SL6827]

How far out is the final payment date now?

 

[Girl of the South]

“For a cruise of 5 nights or less, your final payment is due 90 days in advance of your embarkation day. For cruises 6 nights or longer, the final payment is due 120 in advance.”

 

[71 Truck]

Pre Covid my wife and I had sailed on the Fantasy several times using Guaranteed rates.

Since we have no children and it's just the two of us we are more flexible when we can cruise so we will look for the best deal when we are able to cruise. So far we have never been disappointed.

On a cruise back in 2018 we booked a Guaranteed ocean view and knew they could place in anything from a cabin with a small window all the way up to a Veranda, it's the chance you take.

This was the cabin we were assigned.




It was a special needs cabin they did not need to assign to anyone for this cruise. I am sure if they needed it at any time they would have re assigned us to a different cabin. These are the chances you take with these rates.


We liked the ability to be able to spread out so on a 2019 cruise we waited till opening day to specifically book the non special needs version of this cabin.

At the time being Platinum gave us the advantage of being able to secure this cabin category because they are limited so of course we paid a lot more for this cruise.

This was the cabin. It being non special needs it was broken up by a wall in the middle giving you the feeling of it being more like a suite. Once again because we asked for this specific cabin this cruise was a lot more expensive.

 

[meremac]

I think I am not explaining myself correctly, in the past booking opening day has been the best price. It kills me to think all of us loyal customers who do this are being punished. They should offer a room credit or something, especially cruises like this one that we were unable to use our on board booking discount

Nobody's being punished. Opening day rates are still typically cheaper as far as rack rate pricing is concerned. Then as staterooms start to fill up, the remaining staterooms tend to become more expensive until relatively close to sailing. At that time, staterooms that haven't been booked sometimes (but not always) flip over into GTY pricing. These rates are usually cheaper than rack rate alternatives, but they come with concessions: you don't get to pick your stateroom and sometimes (depending on whether or not the rate has restrictions) you may have to pay in full at time of booking and the cruise would be non-refundable. It's kind of like, for example, Basic Economy fares on Delta. You're getting a cheaper price but you're giving some things up in return. If you want to pay less, it's a waiting game with risks and concessions but also potential rewards. This is how it has worked for a long time. It's nothing new.

 

[Girl of the South]

That’s an amazing looking cabin! You could do cartwheels! I guess that wall is “laod bearing”? (I watch too much HGTV). Do you know the square footage?

 

[71 Truck]

That’s an amazing looking cabin! You could do cartwheels! I guess that wall is “laod bearing”? (I watch too much HGTV). Do you know the square footage?

At the time we did guess the square footage however I don't remember. If I had to guess now , it being not quite double the size of a standard ocean view room maybe 300 square feet.

 

[MomOTwins]

Just wanted to add to this thread on useful bit of info. You can at any point see which disney cruises currently offer GT discounts by checking https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/special-offers/domestic-special-rates/. Most are available only after pay in full, but sometimes they are offered further out (e.g., certain January 2025 cruises on disney magic). So it is definitely worth taking a peek before your PIF date to see if you may have an opportunity to rebook a cruise at a GT rate before the cancellation penalties kick in.

 

[gilsan]

Pre Covid my wife and I had sailed on the Fantasy several times using Guaranteed rates.

Since we have no children and it's just the two of us we are more flexible when we can cruise so we will look for the best deal when we are able to cruise. So far we have never been disappointed.

On a cruise back in 2018 we booked a Guaranteed ocean view and knew they could place in anything from a cabin with a small window all the way up to a Veranda, it's the chance you take.

This was the cabin we were assigned.

View attachment 854469
View attachment 854468

It was a special needs cabin they did not need to assign to anyone for this cruise. I am sure if they needed it at any time they would have re assigned us to a different cabin. These are the chances you take with these rates.


We liked the ability to be able to spread out so on a 2019 cruise we waited till opening day to specifically book the non special needs version of this cabin.

At the time being Platinum gave us the advantage of being able to secure this cabin category because they are limited so of course we paid a lot more for this cruise.

This was the cabin. It being non special needs it was broken up by a wall in the middle giving you the feeling of it being more like a suite. Once again because we asked for this specific cabin this cruise was a lot more expensive.

View attachment 854479
View attachment 854480

We booked this room, the one with the wall, for the EBTA next May with an OBB. I am pretty sure the EBTA will have *GT rates, so I have been debating about cancelling and rebooking once a VGT rate comes out, but I really think we will enjoy this room, it is me, my husband, and my 19 year old daughter.

If we decide to keep the cabin we at least have the 10% discount. We have gone with *GT rate 4 times previously and have always been happy with our room.

Did you like the location of the room? Was there much motion?

 

[Girl of the South]

At the time we did guess the square footage however I don't remember. If I had to guess now , it being not quite double the size of a standard ocean view room maybe 300 square feet.

This is the cabin with Veranda. The ocean view with NO veranda is 246 sq ft. I will guess, then, 450 sq feet??? Even though it looks sort of like just your entrance, it's still square footage. Well done!

 

[71 Truck]

We booked this room, the one with the wall, for the EBTA next May with an OBB. I am pretty sure the EBTA will have *GT rates, so I have been debating about cancelling and rebooking once a VGT rate comes out, but I really think we will enjoy this room, it is me, my husband, and my 19 year old daughter.

If we decide to keep the cabin we at least have the 10% discount. We have gone with *GT rate 4 times previously and have always been happy with our room.

Did you like the location of the room? Was there much motion?

For us the location was perfect. We like to be away from most of the foot traffic in the corridor's as possible and don't mind the walking distance to get to things around the ship.

We have sailed forward on the ship in the past including as far forward as you can get on deck 8. We had a cabin that faced the front of the ship.
This was our view out our small window.



For my wife and I the motion of the ship does not bother us. We hardly notice it much unless we are in a storm. At the time of both cruises in the larger rooms I don't remember there being any more motion than most of our past cruises.

 

[lanejudy]

That’s an amazing looking cabin! You could do cartwheels! I guess that wall is “laod bearing”? (I watch too much HGTV). Do you know the square footage?

It looks like an 8A staterooms on the Dream/Fantasy. Sometimes referred to as "sideways" but not really in the same sense as the interior sideways cabins on the Magic/Wonder. They are actually more square, not as deep as a standard stateroom but wider. They were originally intended to be HA, but for some reason not all have that designation. Somewhere around here is a thread or two about them. Some have a wall partition, some don't.

 

[mmouse37]

For us the location was perfect. We like to be away from most of the foot traffic in the corridor's as possible and don't mind the walking distance to get to things around the ship.

We have sailed forward on the ship in the past including as far forward as you can get on deck 8. We had a cabin that faced the front of the ship.
This was our view out our small window.

View attachment 854494

For my wife and I the motion of the ship does not bother us. We hardly notice it much unless we are in a storm. At the time of both cruises in the larger rooms I don't remember there being any more motion than most of our past cruises.

Since my husband and I are both retired now it is much easier to book *GT rates when they come out. Our last 10 sailings or so have been "last minute cruises". We just went this January and were assigned a forward facing cabin on the Dream and I loved it. It was an accessible room with plenty of space. We often have booked the forward corner cabins on the Dream/Fantasy which are huge (8504 and such).

We have not had a bad cabin ever with booking the *GT rates. I just can't see spending full price when we are not picky about itinerary or ship and just want to get away. We now wait to see if the discount rates come out and cruise then. In January we booked literally 7 days before the cruise. We are lucky that motion does not bother us at all.

We have several family members onboard the Fantasy this summer and we are desperately hoping a *GT rate comes out so we can join them but I didn't want to pay full price. If it doesn't happen it doesn't happen.

This was our cabin on the Dream 7500.....





















MJ

 

[mmouse37]

To the OP.....I know your frustration when you see prices drop and can't take advantage of it. Disney does refund money when the actual cruise rate does go down but not when it is a new category like the *GT rates. Those are for new bookings only.

It does happen sometimes when DCL will lower the price of the cruise rate and then you can take advantage of the lower rate with no cancellation penalty. Unfortunately, in your situation the lower price is due to a new category (*GT rates) and not a lowering of the actual cruise rate. Slim difference I know but that is the way its done.

Just like with airlines....some people are paying way more or less for the seat next to you.

MJ

 

[auntlynne]

We booked this room, the one with the wall, for the EBTA next May with an OBB. I am pretty sure the EBTA will have *GT rates, so I have been debating about cancelling and rebooking once a VGT rate comes out, but I really think we will enjoy this room, it is me, my husband, and my 19 year old daughter.

If we decide to keep the cabin we at least have the 10% discount. We have gone with *GT rate 4 times previously and have always been happy with our room.

Did you like the location of the room? Was there much motion?

Personally, If I had cabin 5020/5022, 5520/5522, I would not give it up. It’s my favorite cabin on a Disney ship.

Those porthole windows let in so much light. And it just feels roomy - all that open floor space. Closets are easy to access; the desk is extra length.

Motion was not exaggerated.

The drawbacks (highly subjective) would be:
Single bathroom unit
No curtain to provide extra level of privacy
No fourth berth

But TV placement is perfect (the cabin shown above with the pole has a very awkward TV location).

Yes, Cat 8A on Dream and Fantasy. I was trying to do approximations of square footage based on space around bed, but it didn’t work out to a substantially larger cabin.

 

[holula]

We booked this room, the one with the wall, for the EBTA next May with an OBB. I am pretty sure the EBTA will have *GT rates, so I have been debating about cancelling and rebooking once a VGT rate comes out, but I really think we will enjoy this room, it is me, my husband, and my 19 year old daughter.

If we decide to keep the cabin we at least have the 10% discount. We have gone with *GT rate 4 times previously and have always been happy with our room.

Did you like the location of the room? Was there much motion?

I love the 8A rooms, I’ve been in 5022, 5020 (both walls) and 5518 which was clearly designed HA but never actually designated HA. They are my favourite room.

I’ll also see you in the EBTA down the hall, decided to splurge on a 4E verandah!

 

[gilsan]

Personally, If I had cabin 5020/5022, 5520/5522, I would not give it up. It’s my favorite cabin on a Disney ship.

Those porthole windows let in so much light. And it just feels roomy - all that open floor space. Closets are easy to access; the desk is extra length.

Motion was not exaggerated.

The drawbacks (highly subjective) would be:
Single bathroom unit
No curtain to provide extra level of privacy
No fourth berth

But TV placement is perfect (the cabin shown above with the pole has a very awkward TV location).

Yes, Cat 8A on Dream and Fantasy. I was trying to do approximations of square footage based on space around bed, but it didn’t work out to a substantially larger cabin.

I love the 8A rooms, I’ve been in 5022, 5020 (both walls) and 5518 which was clearly designed HA but never actually designated HA. They are my favourite room.

I’ll also see you in the EBTA down the hall, decided to splurge on a 4E verandah!

Thanks for the information. We are in 5520; I was leaning toward keeping the room. Holula, I can't wait; we are nearly at the one-year mark. The transatlantic cruises are my favourite cruises

 

[Flossbolna]

I’ll also see you in the EBTA down the hall, decided to splurge on a 4E verandah!

Holula, I can't wait; we are nearly at the one-year mark. The transatlantic cruises are my favourite cruises

We are planning to be on the same cruise as the two of you! Currently booked in a 8B which we love, but contemplating the *GT route as well…

 

[SL6827]

Disney is obviously overpricing some of their cruises. Wonder if they are surprised by the needed last minute rates for the Wish?

 

[auntlynne]

Thanks for the information. We are in 5520; I was leaning toward keeping the room. Holula, I can't wait; we are nearly at the one-year mark. The transatlantic cruises are my favourite cruises

That was our cabin in September